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War of words

War of words THE United Nations (UN) initiative to grant indigenous people the right to self-government has come under severe criticism from the leader of Australia's One Nation Party, Pauline Hanson.

Hanson's speech stating that the declaration supporting "self-determination" for indigenous people would destroy Australia's sovereignty has forced the Australian government to review the draft declaration. The Australian cabinet now seeks to replace the term with the words "self-empowerment" and "self-management".

Aboriginal leaders have attacked the decision as "political", "racist" and an international embarrassment.

The UN declaration, a non-binding guide for national governments due to be signed by 2004, is intended to support the human rights of indigenous populations worldwide.

On July 21, the cabinet decided that the foreign minister, Alexander Downer, should persuade Canada, the United States and New Zealand to demand the removal of the term self-determination. In June, Hanson said the declaration was a "treacherous sell-out of the Australian people". She said Article 31 was a "precursor to the establishment of a taxpayer-funded Aboriginal state". Aboriginal leader and former social justice commissioner Mick Dodson said the government's decision was political, morally bankrupt and discriminatory.

Meanwhile, a fresh controversy surrounding the rights of aborigines has hit the Australian heartland. A recent review of the Northern Territory Land Rights Act suggested scrapping of permits for entry to aboriginal land.

The review by a former Labor back-bencher, John Reeves, said territory governments should be able to acquire aboriginal land for public purposes and land councils should be replaced by smaller regional bodies. He also accused the councils of dissipating money on administration and cash payments.

However, the Northern Land Council chief executive, Norman Fry, said the proposals would rob aborigines of crucial rights under the country's oldest and strongest land rights law. "If the recommendations are put in place, it will destroy the Land Rights Act," Fry said. He said aborigines were desperately opposed to overturning the permit system and were worried about the impact on sacred sites.

"There is an absolutely ridiculous and irresponsible suggestion that sacred sites be icons for the bloody tourism industry," Fry said and accused Reeves of lacking sensitivity to Aboriginal religion. Reeves said most aborigines he spoke to opposed the permit system and he dismissed as nonsense suggestions that sacred sites would be opened up to tourists.

The review is the first undertaken of the 1976 Land Rights Act, which the government passed after a recommendation that aborigines have a veto over mining on their land where it interferes with traditional practices.

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